Srivilliputhur wildlife sanctuary set to raise fodder trees for animals

VIRUDHUNAGAR: With ample rain inside Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, the forest department here has started a drive to raise fodder trees. The planting drive is concentrated in a 20-hectare area where the forest officials had uprooted the invasive weed, 'Lantana camara'. The thorny weed cannot be consumed by the herbivores in the sanctuary. Besides, it deprives animals of fodder by destroying native plants which are natural fodder, thereby forcing them to migrate for food.

Last year the state government had sanctioned funds to root out Lantana camara. The sanctuary managed to remove the shrub from 20 hectares inside the sanctuary limits, a wildlife official said. The tree species to be planted during the fodder development drive are thani (Terminalia bellirica), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), koonthalpanai (Caryota urens), vilvam (Aegle marmelos), vilamaram (Feronia elephantum) and bamboo trees. Elephants like vilamaram, jackfruit and bamboo species, while the grizzled squirrels prefer jackfruits, the sanctuary officials said.

The saplings will be planted in Rajapalayam, Srivilliputhur, Watrap and Saptur ranges of the sanctuary. As many as 200 saplings will be planted per hectare. The marked area includes some of the high peaks (1,200 meters) in the sanctuary falling within the Rajapalayam range. The forest staff will carry the saplings to the remote terrains and finish planting them before monsoon intensifies. "We received good rains in the sanctuary limits in the last few days. With monsoons ahead, the chances for saplings survival are higher," a senior wildlife official said. The sanctuary has also received funds to remove Lantana camara from another 20 hectares and the work will start shortly, the official said.

While the tree planting is currently on in the sanctuary, the Chief Minister's Massive Tree Planting drive will be carried out in the non-forest areas. Two lakh saplings will be planted this season, said A Venkatesh, conservator of forest for Virudhunagar circle. The tree species selected for non-forest areas are neem, pungam (Pongamia pinnata), vagai (Indian walnut) and neermarudhu (Terminalia arjuna).